Auld Lang Syne
by GraysonSteele
Summary: Annie and Auggie are spending the holidays apart. Will absence make the heart grow fonder?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: My usual assurance that I intend to gain nothing from my use of the Covert Affairs characters

New Year's Eve found Annie sitting alone in the middle of the floor of the garage apartment at Danielle's house. She and Auggie had put Close and Continuing paperwork in Joan's hands the Friday morning before Christmas. After two months of dating steadily – no secretly per se, but quietly, they decided to move in together and that required official acknowledgement of their status.

At a quiet knock, Joan looked up to see Auggie and Annie standing together at the door to her office. Annie held a file in her hands looking decidedly nervous while Auggie had the appearance of a man who'd won the lottery.

"Joan, do you have a moment?" Auggie inquired casually.

"For you Auggie, of course. Come in."

"We wanted to bring this to you together." Auggie said stopping behind one of the chairs in front of Joan's desk. Annie handed their boss the thin file folder.

Joan opened it and was completely unsurprised to find the relationship disclosure form inside. "Well, it's about time, you two. If this had gone on much longer, I was going to have to ask for the paperwork myself."

"I beg your pardon?" Annie replied.

"You didn't actually think that no one in this department knew you were dating did you?" Joan queried. "The entire DPD has been rooting for you two to get together. I believe there may even be an office pool."

"I see." Annie said glancing at Auggie who looked equally thunderstruck.

"I expect I'll have this signed off on by the end of business today. Anything else?" It was all Joan could do not to laugh at the pair.

"No, that was it. Thank you, Joan." Auggie replied.

And that was that. Joan was better than her word. Around two o'clock that afternoon, Joan placed the same file folder she'd been given on the corner of Annie's desk as she walked by on her way to her office. Annie retrieved the folder from her inbox. There was a post-it on the exterior simply reading, "Congratulations."

Auggie left for Glencoe the next morning. Annie hadn't been able to get more than one day off and Auggie had made his plans months earlier. The entire Anderson clan was going to be together for the first time in 5 years, so there was no question of backing out. While neither of them was thrilled by the idea of spending the holidays apart, it did give Annie 10 days to get her things boxed and the apartment cleaned.

Annie had her I-pod in its docking station playing random selections while the small TV was muted, but displaying images from Times Square. It was snowing gently on the assembled crowd and Annie thought not for the first time that no one could pay her enough to be out amongst them.

Annie was going through her books trying to decide what to move into Auggie's, what to store and which ones to donate to the local library. She was mulling over the fate of her Harry Potter collection when her personal cell phone rang.

She stretched to reach the device sitting just beyond arms length on top of the end table. She accepted the call without even looking knowing it could only be Auggie or Danielle.

"It's not New Year's yet." She said by way of greeting wondering which voice she was going to hear respond.

"It is in Greece, Neshema. In fact it has been 2013 for about 3 hours now."

"Eyal! Happy New Year. So how was the celebration in Athens?" Annie climbed onto her couch to get comfortable for what she hoped would be a nice chat with her friend.

"Much like most other major cities in the world I'd imagine – loud and with large amounts of fireworks."

"I know you texted earlier, but did you really like your Hanukah present?"

"Absolutely – the sextant has a place of honor in my cabin on the Flying Lavin. And what about your Christmas present?"

"Eyal, it's truly lovely." Annie's hand unconsciously went to the gold mizpah around her neck.

"Are you wearing it?" Eyal's voice was almost a caress.

Annie knew she shouldn't be and thought fleetingly about lying, but couldn't do it. "Yes," she said. Her admission caused her cheeks to flush.

"Can I see how it looks?"

"What?" His voice didn't come from her phone, but rather from the doorway. Annie jumped to her feet. "What are you doing here?" The words may have sounded rude, but the incredulous tone and excitement in her expression counteracted them. She couldn't move and neither could she take her eyes off the man. Damn him for looking like a reason to sin. He slowly crossed the room ignoring the boxes and her disheveled appearance.

As he gently removed the ponytail holder from her hair he asked, "Would you believe me if I said I used the sextant to chart a course home and it brought me to you?" He pulled Annie into his arms and whispered in her ear, "I decided I didn't want to wait any longer to be with you."

Any thought Annie had of protesting left her when he kissed her. She went up in flames as his hands gently caressed her and deepened their kiss. Without knowing how they got there, Eyal lay naked beside her in her bed. She was awash in the sensations that his hands and mouth were creating. She'd always known he'd be a skilled lover and he was proving that beyond her wildest dreams. Just as he was poised to join them, the phone rang.

Annie's eyes flew open. She was alone in her apartment. The boxes of books were labeled, sealed and arranged along the wall. Her I-pod was playing Madeleine Peyroux and on the TV confetti was raining down on the masses in Times Square. If the sound were up, Auld Lang Syne would no doubt be heard behind the commentators. The phone rang again. She sat up on the couch catching "Goblet of Fire" before it could hit the floor and picking up her cell.

"Happy New Year, Sweetheart! I miss you."

"Happy New Year, Auggie. I miss you too." She forced a smile and the brightest most cheerful tone she could muster. Her hand went to her neck. Eyal's gold mizpah rested just below her collarbone.


	2. Should old acquaintance be forgot

Disclaimer: I do not own CA or its' characters, nor do I intend to profit from their use

Chapter 2

"Love you too, Auggie. I'll see you Wednesday."

Annie ended the call and finally allowed herself to react. _Oh my God! Where had that dream come from? It was so vivid. I swear I could taste Sazerac when we kissed._ Annie jumped up off the couch and started pacing. _It has been two years since Eyal stepped naked into the shower at the safe house in Zurich. I shouldn't remember him that clearly._ And yet she did.

"Breathe Walker." She said addressing herself aloud. "It was just a dream." _No one can blame you for your minds subconscious wanderings. _She stopped in the middle of the floor and looked over at her perfectly made bed. _You know you didn't __**actually **__cheat on Auggie. And it's not like it's even the first time you've had an X rated dream about that man. _But in the back of her mind she knew that she hadn't had one of _those _dreams since she and Auggie had gotten together.

Annie sat back down on the couch just so she didn't have to see the bed in tact or not. Her right hand went back to the gold medallion around her neck. Eyal had caught her completely off guard last week.

When she'd arrived home after work on Christmas Eve, Annie found a delivery notice in the mailbox. She had already received her box from Danielle and she and Auggie had exchanged gifts before he'd left for Glencoe. The notice listed the package being left with the next door neighbor. Annie walked the short distance across the adjoining yards to Meredith's front door. She knocked in the center of the real balsam wreath hanging there. Annie could hear running feet and 3 voices calling out "I'll get it!"

The door was yanked open by three little boys with nearly identical faces.

"Hi, Miss Annie. Merry Christmas, Miss Annie. Ho ho ho!"

Annie couldn't help but laugh at the raven haired trio jockeying for attention. "That was a pretty impressive Santa Claus imitation, Tommy." Annie commented reaching out to ruffle the 5 year olds hair. "And Merry Christmas to you too, Matthew and Luke." Annie had no clue which twin was which. "Is your mom handy?"

With that three pairs of hands pulled her through the door. Meredith called out from the back of the house, "I'm in the kitchen, Annie." The boys escorted her down the entry hall and into the efficient kitchen area and breakfast nook. The statuesque brunette was taking gingerbread men off a cookie sheet. Her boys disappeared into the family room where Annie could hear The Santa Claus playing on the TV.

"I happened to catch the mailman as I left for the grocery. Since we're here for the holiday, I offered to sign for your box so you could have it open on Christmas." She put the cookie sheet on top of the stove.

"Thank you so much, Meredith. I have to say I'm curious to see who it's from because I wasn't expecting anything else."

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice it was postmarked from Greece." Meredith removed a small box from the top of her fridge and handed it to the younger woman.

Thankfully, thinking fast was the bread and butter of spy craft. "Really?" Annie quickly glanced at the return information. "One of my friends from the Smithsonian is there working at an excavation site just outside Athens."

"So your unexpected gift is a pleasant surprise then?"

Annie looked at the box in her hands and no trouble replying honestly, "Absolutely." Regardless of what alias he used to fill out the shipping information, she'd know that handwriting anywhere. "Thank you again, Meredith. I'll let you get back to your baking. Merry Christmas boys!"

A chorus of "Bye" and "Merry Christmas" issued for the family room. Meredith walked Annie to the front door. "Would you like to join us for dinner tomorrow?"

"That's really sweet of you to offer, but there are a few of us from work that are doing a pitch-in. Since we had to work today and the day after Christmas, we decided to be each others family tomorrow."

"Wow, what a nice idea. I know it's not the same, but I'm really glad you will be friends tomorrow. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Annie hurried back across the frozen ground clutching the box to her chest. What she'd told Meredith was true to an extent. The few operatives and support staff from the various departments that had to be on hand tomorrow at Langley were doing a pitch-in. And because she had to work on the day, Annie had already talked with Danielle about doing their Christmas gift opening this evening via Skype so she could watch her nieces open the presents she'd sent. Annie checked her watch. She had plenty of time to contact a certain former Mossad agent.

Annie and Eyal had only spoken once since they had last seen each other in Amsterdam. He had been on his way to see Avi for the last night of Hanukah. The conversation got some what stilted after Eyal had asked how things were going with her and Auggie. She'd answered honestly and told him that she and Auggie had been dating steadily since their return from the mission. In true Eyal fashion, the call had ended with him saying "Be happy," rather than "Good bye".

Once inside her living room, she dropped the box on the couch and set her coat and purse on the matching chair. She picked up her personal cell of the end table and dialed Eyal's number. He answered on the second ring.

"Annie Walker."

"Eyal, what did you do?"

The man had the nerve to chuckle as he replied, "You'll have to be more specific."

"Why do I have a box in my hands, Eyal?" she clarified.

"Good, it reached you right on time. I take it you haven't opened the package yet?"

"No, not yet." She couldn't tell him that she wanted him to be with her when she did. "But before I do…"

Eyal cut her off. "It's nothing inappropriate, Annie. It is simply a token – one friend to another."

Annie relaxed slightly. "Then thank you in advance. Can I open it now?"

"I was hoping you would."

Annie had deliberately not looked at the customs paperwork attached to the package. CIA agent or not, she liked being surprised at Christmas. Even as a kid, she didn't shake the wrapped gifts under the tree or try to find where mom was hiding the gifts beforehand.

"This may take a minute." Annie put the cell in speaker mode and set it on the table. She retrieved scissors from her desk drawer and made short work of opening the exterior box. She reached in removed some bubble wrap and then slid out a beautifully wrapped square the size of her palm. Annie sat back down on the couch.

"Eyal?" her voice was breathy and slightly fearful yet laced with just a hint of warning as she eyed the gift.

"Just open it, Annie." He coaxed from the other side of the ocean.

She carefully undid the paper and opened what she had already guessed was a jewelry box. Inside the black velvet case lay a gold pendant – the right half of a mizpah coin suspended on a delicate, single link chain.

"Oh, Eyal." Her vision clouded slightly.

"Do you like it, Neshema?"

"It's lovely." She carefully removed the chain from the jewelry pad. She opened the clasp and put it on. The 16" chain had the coin resting at the notch of her collar bone. Annie reached for her purse and removed her compact, so she could see how it looked.

"I know that you have another necklace that you usually wear, but I was hoping you might consider a change once in a while."

"I sent the key back to Simon's sister last month. In all honesty, I never felt I should have it. It belongs to their family and returning it helped me to move past what happened." Annie had very little difficulty locating her as she was still using the name from the passport Annie had provided her with in Russia.

Eyal was quiet for a long moment reflecting on what she'd just shared.

Annie broke the silence. "I tried on the necklace and it's perfect. I can't promise to wear it every day, but whenever I do, I'll think of you."

"Thank you Annie. I have on mine as well and make you the same promise."

Annie dropped her hand from the necklace. She had been wearing it continuously since she'd put it on last week. She still hadn't decided what if anything to tell Auggie. She couldn't in all honesty say that it was **only **a token of friendship despite Eyal's ascertation otherwise. If the situation was reversed and Auggie received something like this from someone significant in his past like Parker or Natasha, she'd be hurt if he wore it. _As much as I care for Eyal, I chose Auggie. I love Auggie._

Annie stood up. She went around turning off the lights, TV and the stereo. She made her way to the bathroom to get ready for bed. A few minutes later she came and crossed the room again. She pulled back the covers and climbed between the soft flannel sheets. She raised her hands to undo the clasp at the back of her neck and lowered them back to the mattress their task done. Annie slid down deeper in the bed and laid her head down on the pillow. In her right hand, she still held the necklace. As she started to drift off, her last thought was _"Why is letting him go so damn difficult."_


End file.
